


Number Nine

by HIKARIYUKIX



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mythology - Freeform, Nine-Tailed Fox, Romance, Time Skips, goryeo period, gyuhan, soonwoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-22 19:11:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18533719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HIKARIYUKIX/pseuds/HIKARIYUKIX
Summary: In order to save his beloved, Jeonghan, a nine-tailed fox sacrificed his heart. In doing so he also sacrificed his immortality, now on the very last one of his nine lives he just wants to live out his final days in peace...until a fateful encounter with a boy by the river makes the empty space in his chest ache anew.





	Number Nine

* * *

 

**GORYEO, YEAR 949. FINAL DAY OF KING JEONGJONG'S RULE.**

* * *

 

“Please, I'll do whatever you say! Your majesty, I beg of you!” The nine-tailed fox begged as he bowed to the king who held a knife against his lover's throat.

“You beg for his life despite knowing he betrayed me?! Me?! Your king?!” The king’s voice boomed.

“I vow to do whatever your majesty orders for as long as I breathe, please release him,” the nine-tailed fox once again bowed his head, his long silver locks pouring around him as his forehead touched the ground.

“Jeonghan…” His lover said his name, his voice came out as a mere whisper.

Hearing his name, the nine-tailed fox looked up. The scene that unfolded in front of him made his blood run cold. He watched in silent horror as the king pushed his lover down on the floor before plunging the pointed knife into the man's chest. A scream echoed throughout the room, it took a moment before Jeonghan realised the scream was his own. He was frozen, completely in shock and all too shaken by what he was witnessing.

“I knew this worthless brother of mine would betray me someday,” the king held the blood soaked knife and swiped the polished metal surface with his fingers. “My own flesh and blood.”

“There was no act of betrayal! You've gone insane! The whole kingdom knows you have!” Jeonghan shouted, he no longer cared about formalities -- the man who held his heart was lifeless on the ground.

“You dare speak to me that way, you filthy dog?!” The king's eyes bore no sign of humanity, the man’s final shred of sanity had disappeared.

“Just kill me,” Jeonghan stepped forward toward the man's blade -- he no longer had any intention of living.

“You'd hand over your life so easily?” The king began to laugh hysterically. “For some mere prince who holds nothing but an empty title?!”

“Yes,” Jeonghan simply answered. “His life is worth far more than yours ever will, you're nothing but a clown wearing king's clothing.”

“You dare address your king this way?” The king's lip curled in anger at Jeonghan's words.

“I have nothing else to lose,” Jeonghan said with a shaky breath as he felt his tears slip endlessly down his face. “I fear nothing, especially not the likes of you.”

“You filthy dog!” The king held up the blood drenched knife above his head, the blade aimed at Jeonghan.

Jeonghan closed his eyes waiting for the blade but it never came, instead he felt a warm splatter on the side of his face and the sound of gurgling. When he opened his eyes, he was faced with the shocked face of his king as the man held a hand over his throat. The king's neck gushed with blood as he crumpled to the ground. Jeonghan's eyes shifted and met those of his lover who held a small dagger in his hand while the other pressed over the wound on his chest.

“No!” Jeonghan shouted as he caught the man before he collapsed.

“Han-ah,” the injured man mumbled the fox's pet name.

“Why did you not listen to me? Why did you act on your own?!” Jeonghan shook his head as he sobbed.

“Because I'm a foolish, foolish man,” the prince said through laboured breaths, he was losing all the colour in his face.

“I need to go find help,” Jeonghan started to stand.

“No!” The prince grabbed the nine-tailed fox by his wrist. “The king had his guards surround the perimeter, if you go they'll think you killed the king. You'll be executed.”

“I don't care! I can't let you die!” Jeonghan continued to sob.

“Stay with me,” the man pressed his lover's hand over his lips. “Stay with me until the very end, you promised me we'd be together until my final breath.”

“I don't want our goodbye to be this way, it's much too early for goodbyes,” Jeonghan curled over his lover's wounded body.

“Thank you for everything you've done for me,” the prince mumbled as his consciousness started to slip away. “If we can’t be together in this lifetime then let us meet again in the next, if we meet again I promise to repay my debt tenfold.”

“No...please,” Jeonghan whispered, his tone a desperate murmur.

“I'll find you, Jeonghan-ah, I'll follow you like the wind,” his lover used the last of his strength to give the nine-tailed fox a kiss before he fell limp on the ground.

Jeonghan bit onto the inside of his cheek, biting so hard that he could taste the metallic tang of blood. He cradled the man's body swaying back and forth with hot tears still rolling down his face. He didn't want to let go.

“Jeonghan! Jeonghan!” A low voice bellowed his name making the nine-tailed fox jump.

Jeonghan turned toward the entrance of the King's quarters to see Wonwoo, his brother had a simple cloth satchel on his back while the other was occupied by a sword. The other fox approached the scene with wide eyes seeing the blood and fallen bodies.

“We have to leave now! The king gave orders to have our heads if we're seen leaving the palace grounds!” Wonwoo tugged at Jeonghan's arm, his eyes darting between the two fallen humans beneath him.

“I can't leave him like this! I can't!”

“There is nothing we can do, Jeonghan! He's dead! You cannot change that!” Wonwoo got on his knees, his nails digging into Jeonghan's arms. “It has been set in stone, you cannot change history!”

“Yes I can,” Jeonghan's cries immediately stopped.

“Jeonghan,” Wonwoo shook his head in silent disbelief.

“I'll give him my heart,” Jeonghan concluded placing a hand over his chest.

“You're insane! Do you understand what that means for you?! You will slowly perish!”

“I still have nine tails, nine more lifetimes to live, I can survive for a long time even without a heart, Wonwoo,” Jeonghan reminded. “I still have plenty of time left.”

“It's too high a price to pay!” Wonwoo continued to protest.

“He's everything to me, Wonwoo,” Jeonghan whispered as he pressed his lips against his lover's forehead. “This nation needs a king and we both know he is the only one who can live up to what is expected of a king! King Taejo would roll over in his grave knowing the throne went to anyone else!”

“You're sacrificing your immortality, Jeonghan,” Wonwoo reminded his fellow fox. “Think this through.”

“I don't need to think this through,” Jeonghan argued. “You would do the same for your little farm boy, would you not?”

Wonwoo did not give the other fox a response, instead he simply stood back eyes guarded the door. There was no way of changing Jeonghan's mind. He'd lost.

Jeonghan closed his eyes, he took a deep breath and concentrated. He could feel his heartbeat accelerate and pound against his chest, it was almost too painful. The nine-tailed fox leaned down and pressed a kiss against the seam of the man's lips. Jeonghan could feel the heavy beating of his chest slowly moving higher and higher until he felt no heartbeat at all. He watched the colour slowly return to his lover's face, his hands became warm within the fox's touch and his breathing evened into a steady pace. It was done, he'd given his heart to the human in his arms. The man would live on.

“One last task,” Jeonghan looked up at his brother through desperate eyes.

“What is it?” Wonwoo's eyes widened.

“I must erase every memory he has of me,” Jeonghan said.

“Why-” Wonwoo began to protest.

“It's the only option, Wonwoo,” Jeonghan said, his tone final. “He has suffered enough, I don't want him to go through anymore suffering, anymore heartache. He cannot miss someone he does not remember, let it be my final parting gift. He now has the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders, any memories of me will only serve as a distraction. A king's priority is his people, not some lowly nine-tailed fox.”

Wonwoo opened his mouth but quickly closed it before lowering his head and looking away.

“I'm sorry,” Jeonghan whispered as he pressed a hand over the unconscious prince’s eyes.

“You are familiar with the king's handwriting, are you not?” Jeonghan asked of Wonwoo.

“Yes,” Wonwoo nodded.

“Forge a declaration announcing that the fourth prince of Goryeo will ascend the throne. The royal seal is on the king's desk, no one will know what happened here today.”

Wonwoo gave a nod and did as he was told. He wrote the declaration in the blackest of ink, mimicking the previous king's writing stroke by stroke and carefully placed the royal seal into the palette of red ink before pressing it into the parchment before him.

“It is done,” Wonwoo came forward and placed the parchment into the fourth prince's limp hand.

“I'm sorry,” Jeonghan whispered again through tears as he touched his lover's chest, the rhythmic beating on his own heart now lived with his beloved. “I cannot stay, I cannot be with you but I know you will do great things for the future of this young nation. I wish I could tell you that we'll be able to meet again someday but I cannot make such an empty promise. I wish nothing but happiness for you and I bid you farewell.”

“The guards are coming!” Wonwoo hissed as he peeked through the window.

“Maybe, just maybe we will meet again in another lifetime,” Jeonghan mumbled as he looked at his beloved for the last time. “Long live the king.”

* * *

  
**Present Day, Seoul**  
**National Museum of Korea**

* * *

 

“If you look to your left you will see the bronze statue of King Taejo of Goryeo,” the tour guide announced as she lead a small group of visitors through the pristine room of artefacts. “This statue remains as the only statue of the king.”

“False,” a man said as he eavesdropped on the tour guide's speech.

“Excuse me?” The tour guide looked over at the man with a shocked face.

“What you said was false,” the man repeated. “There were actually many of these bronze statues of King Taejo, unfortunately they suffered a cruel fate after prince Wang Yo ascended the throne. He had all the statues of his father melted down during the final years of his reign when he slowly went insane. His paranoia lead him to believe that his father was watching him beyond the grave, that one remaining statue you're looking at was hidden away and kept safe by prince Wang So, the king that succeeded Wang Yo after his death.”

“That's absurd, there is no record of that,” the tour guide turned on her heel and ushered her small group to another area of the exhibition.

“Just because there is no record, it doesn't mean it didn't happen,” the man said before removing the white dust mask covering his face. “You weren't there, you wouldn't know.”

“Jeonghan,” a low voice called his name, it had been a while since anyone had called him by that name -- it felt odd.

“Wonwoo,” Jeonghan returned as he turned around to see a tall man in dark navy blue suit walk into the exhibition.

Wonwoo's hair was a deep brown with the top coiffed back to reveal his forehead, his expression was neutral. The other fox had a clipboard under his arm while a pair of gold framed glasses adorned his chiselled face. His sharp gaze was softened by his choice of eye-wear. A name tag was pinned to the breast pocket of his suit identifying him as the museum's curator.

“You did a great job with this exhibition,” Jeonghan praised his friend as he looked around at the artefacts that occupied the space.

“It wasn't easy, I tried to get the North Korean government to lend us some of their artefacts for a brief time to showcase but they refused,” Wonwoo said with frown. “I even had to send multiple requests to England and Italy to get some of our artefacts here, it's quite ironic having to ask to borrow something that's rightfully ours.”

“I know it must've been a nightmare to get this exhibition from concept to reality,” Jeonghan put hand on Wonwoo's shoulder. “You did well.”

“What brings you back to Seoul? You haven't stepped on Korean soil in decades,” Wonwoo was very direct.

“I thought it would be nice to return to the motherland to live out the rest of my days,” Jeonghan answered with a sad smile.

Wonwoo clenched his jaw.

“We both knew this day would come,” Jeonghan placed a hand on Wonwoo's shoulder.

“How much longer do you have?” Wonwoo asked, his eyes were glued to the bronze statue in front of him.

“A year if I'm lucky,” Jeonghan replied.

“All these years of loneliness and isolation, all for a human whose lifespan was like that of a candle in the wind,” Wonwoo shook his head. “Was that one human worth all of this suffering?”

“Yes,” Jeonghan nodded. “Yes he was, as much as that time pains me to remember, it was also the period that brought me the most joy.”

“A short happiness isn't worth a slow inevitable death, Jeonghan,” Wonwoo repeated the same words he'd uttered to the fox over the course of their long existence.

“Maybe that's why I've always considered you the smarter one between us,” Jeonghan laughed but there was no humour in it, it was as hollow as the hole in his chest.

“What will you do with your remaining time?” Wonwoo questioned the other fox after a long and laboured silence.

“I might just do the one thing I haven't done in a long time,” Jeonghan answered.

“And what is that?”

“Live,” Jeonghan replied.

“You waited much too long, Jeonghan,” Wonwoo stated.

“I know, believe me, I know.”

“I know there isn't much I can do for you but if you need me, I am always willing to help you in any way I can,” Wonwoo gave Jeonghan a resolute nod. “You're my only family.”

“Thank you,” Jeonghan smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. “I'm thankful that I have at least one person in this world who I can trust.”

“Live for yourself with the remaining time you have left, please,” Wonwoo urged his older brother as he walked away from the exhibition. “I haven't seen the mischievous playful Jeonghan in a long time, his presence is long overdue.”

“I'll try my hardest to bring him back,” Jeonghan promised, his eyes followed Wonwoo's retreating back until the fox was out of sight.

Jeonghan turned to look at the statue of king Taejo once more before bowing before it. Though it might've been many lifetimes ago, he still had the utmost respect for the first king of the Goryeo empire. Jeonghan lifted the sleeve of his sweater and stared at the beaded bracelet that occupied his wrist. Eight of the nine beads had turned black, only one remained a pearly white -- his time was definitely running out.

“He was worth it,” Jeonghan whispered to himself, his fingertips brushing over the last white bead.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all, it's me your least favourite gyuhan stan and emotional manipulation enthusiast. I asked on Twitter if anyone wanted to see chapter one of this new fic I'm working on since I'm currently too busy with my nine to five job to upload anything else. 
> 
> I started at a new job so I'm now part of the Public Relations/Social Media Management team, completely different from my previous position but it's really fun. I'll try my best to get the ball rolling so you guys will get weekly/fortnightly updates but life is really chaotic for me at the moment. Hope y'all are doing well!~ I wanna just lay back and read other people's work but I don't even have enough time for that. ;A;


End file.
